The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-02-04

Plains. It was abostS o'clock IN the
evening when the ito arrived there, and
they were seen lou1gng about the place.
They were almost tithout money, for
they tried unsucces$ully TO beg a few
pennies. At half Pct they went to the
Mead bakery and tlhre killed William,
the son of the proprietor, the older Iris
tram, who had entFed with a cooked
revolver in his hani, firing close to
young Mead's body ind sending bullet
straight through his heart. After the
murder the two Trftrams fled toward
the railroad track, Tut were at last sur
rounded by the chef of police and a
party who had gonein persuit ofthem.
They bore themselves cody, and when
ordered TO surrender began afire on
their pursuefs," who returned shot for
shot, until both of the murderers fell,
killed by their own hands, as was after
ward determined at coroner's inquest.
Besides the revolyers they had used,
the dead boys had each another revolt
yer and huge dagger, and these weap-
ons were all new. A few cents were
found in their pockets. They were un-
known in the neighborhood, but on the
following Saturday their bodies were
identified by their brothers, who had
gone to White Plains for that purpose.
1t seems that when they read the report
of the terrible occurrences in Fridays
newspapers the family feared that the
absent sons might be "mixed up with
them in some way" and that their APP
PREDECESSORS were strengthened when
they saw the description of the MUIR
derers and suicides on Saturday.
Yet Thomas and John Tristram. ac-
cording TO the SUMS version, were chill
dren of a very respectable family, and
had never been known 10 have either
bad habits or bad associates, and there
is everything to indicate that their man
ner of life had been exceptionally cor
rect. They we're educated at the school
of the Christian Brothers, were industri-
GUS and faithful to all their duties. Bet
ter children never lived" says their
father. "They never drank drop Of
intoxicating liquor or used tobacco in
their lives, and were seldom out late al
night" 'Thsy had no evil associates, y
says their mother, land they had nc
bad traits" That is the testimony of al
those who knew them. They seem tc
have been quiet and reserved
and remarkable for the propri
ETY. of their lives, which were passed
amid the advantages ola well-conducted
and comfortable household Yet
thoughts and schemes of the widest adj
venture were in the minds of these qulet
lads, who kept their notions concealed
from their parents and the rest of the
family, unless, perhaps, William was il
| the secret. There is talk of heredIty o
insanity, and that may have helped Il
make their purpose fixed idea, bu
their secret desires were not very differ
emit from those of the many lads who
cultivate love for sanguinary adventure
by reading exciting tales and acquire {
distaste for the monotony of life Of civ
ilized order. They wanted to go bacl
into barbarism, and the only peculiarly
in their case is that their illusion contin
ued after they had passed boyhood, the
period when such adventures as they
longed for are usually undertaken
There was for them fascination in &
career of lawlessness all the stronger be
cause of the restraints of their moral anC
religious surroundings, and doubtless
their fatal expedition had been Ions
planned. 1t is indeed curious story
from which good many people, eacf
after the bent of his own mind, will bt
disposed to deduce a moral-but the
chief point of interest in which is really
one of a psychological rather than of 1
a religious or moral character inont
Republican.